Merged
The Merged are a removed concept for BioShock Infinite. Some Citizens of Columbia would appear severely deformed after being exposed to Tears. The concept of the Merged deals with Infinite's themes of alternate universes and quantum physics, similar to the way BioShock's Splicers are used to examine the dark side of advanced genetics and drug abuse. Concept According to The Art of BioShock Infinite, Citizens would have crossed open Tears, either to see an alternate world or their alternate selves. The long term effects of these Tears caused Citizens to mutate, either having Art Nouveau styled scars from merging realities, or being merged with their alternate selves. Examples of the latter category include an older man's face merged with his infant self or another citizen having a horizontally extended body. Although this never appeared in the finished game, the artwork reveals that most of their clothing appeared on the finished game's Citizen models. There were also early sketches that revealed the Handyman would be included in this concept, from the early "Claw Daddy" exoskeleton concept sketch to a sketch of a unique designed Handyman featured in Pax East 2012, though only the head appears along with these Merged Citizen sketches in the artbook. ''BioShock Infinite'' Since the Merged are a cut concept, none of the physical mutations represented in the concept are seen in the final game. The closest thing to the original idea is the debilitating and possibly lethal effects individuals can experience after entering a new reality through a Tear. Subjects with this affliction experience crippling confusion from remembering two or more contradictory memories at the same time. When Booker DeWitt and Elizabeth cross into a different reality during the game, Elizabeth is actually merging two different realities together into a single one. In one reality, some citizens were dead and in the other they are still alive, but they can remember being both dead and alive in the new merged reality. These conflicting memories leave these people's minds shattered, unable to know which of their memories are correct. Subsequently, they are often disoriented, suffer hemorrhages from their nose or ears, and their bodies can phase in and out. Booker, Elizabeth (Burial at Sea - Episode 2), Chen Lin, Scofield Sansmark, a woman in Parker & Co. Excelsior Brand Canned Meats, various Soldiers, and the Lunatics in Comstock House are all seen suffering in this way. Gallery Concept Art, Models and Pre-Launch Images Alt Handyman 2012.JPG|''Concept of a Merged Handyman, only seen in Pax East 2012.'' Alt Handyman Close up 2012.JPG|''Closeup of a Merged Handyman's face.'' ClawDaddyFaceStudy.jpg|''Closeup on the Merged face of the "Claw Daddy."'' MergedCitizen.jpg|''Concept art for a Merged citizen.'' TwoMergedHeads.jpg|''Concept for two Merged citizens.'' Mergaeded.jpg|''Concept art for the head of a Merged citizen.'' Merged Concept Art.png|''Concept art for four Merged Columbian citizens. By Robb Waters.'' MergedModel.jpg|''An untextured and unused head model.'' Saltonstallchanging.png|''Henry Saltonstall being merged in the BioShock Infinite Gamescom 2010 Gameplay Trailer. In-Game Images BI GoodTimeClub TwoCops Scripted2.png|''Two prison guards phasing in and out. BI Chen Lin2.png|''Chen Lin phasing in and out.'' BioShock Infinite Phasing.png|''A Soldier suffering from being Merged in the Bull House Impound.'' Merged.png|''A woman displaying the traumatic effects of a merged mind.'' Bi Scofield2.png|''Partially Merged, Scofield Sansmark.'' Category:BioShock Infinite Removed Content Category:BioShock Infinite